Exhaust manifold clamp



July 7, 1942.

R. STORTZ EXHAUST MANIFOLD CLAMP Filed Nov. 1, 1940 YINVENTOR.

Z S TOR7'Z TORNEY.

Patented July 7, 1942 EXHAUST MANIFOLD CLAMP Robert Stortz, Racine vCounty, Wis, assignor to Nash-Kelvinator Corporation, 'Kenosha, Wis, a corporation of Maryland Application November 1, 1944 Serial No. 363,841;

6 Claims. (CL 2'85 lil8) This invention relates to means for clamping the exhaust manifold to an internal combustion engine and has particular reference to means for clamping a tubular steel manifold to an engine,

It is an object of this invention to provide clamping means which will more securely fasten the manifold to the engine.

It is another object of this invention to provide clamping means which are self-compensating for expansion in the manifold and engine due to heating of the engine.

It is another object of this invention to provide clamping means which will not become loosened and allow exhaust gases to escape from the ensine. v

Other objectsand advantages of this, invention will be apparent from a consideration of the following description and claims and the attached drawing of which there is one sheet and in which- Figure 1 represents a vertical transverse sectional view through an internal combustion engine and an exhaust manifold;

Figure 2 represents a front elevation of the clamp shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 represents a top plan View of the clamp shown in Figure 2;

Figur 4 represents a side elevation of the spring shown in Figure 1, and;

Figure 5 represents a front elevation of the spring shown in Figure 4.

The drawing illustrates an internal combustion engine generally indicated at I0 consisting of a cylinder block l2 and a head casting [4 to which the exhaust manifold I6 is attached by means of the clamps l8 and bolts 20. The particular embodiment of the invention illustrated consists of what is known as a valve-inhead engine in which the cylinders 22 exhaust through exhaust passages 24 controlled by exhaust valves 26. The invention is, however, equally effective when used with L-head or other types of engines.

The exhaust manifold I6 is of tubular steel construction provided with apertures or ports 28 which are arranged to register with the exhaust passages 24 of the motor. The head is provided with concave or semi-cylindrical seats 30 adjacent to each exhaust passage so that the exhaust manifold may be mounted complementally therein. The bolts 20 are secured in holes 32 tapped in the metal of the head l4. Preferably, the bolts 20 are positioned above and below the center of each exhaust passage 24.

The clamps i8, several of which may be provided on one motor depending on the number of exhaust passages consist of stampings having an end wall 343, the edges of which are turned down to form side walls 36 and flanges 38. The side walls 33 are cut away in a semi-circular fashion so as to fit contour of the cylindrical manifold is in spaced positions. The end surface 34 is provided with two elongated openings or apertures 39 through which the bolts 2%) extend out of contact with the clamps l8. The end surface 34 is also stamped outwardly way from the side surfaces 36 to form a projection 40 which is positioned midway between the apertures 39.

Positioned betweeen the clamp l8 and the heads of the bolts 28 is a strip of spring steel 42 which in its at rest position is bowed inwardly in the center towards the manifold it (see Figure 4) The strip 42' is provided with a pair of elongated apertures 44 through which the shanks of the bolts 28 loosely extend.

By drawing down the bolts 2% in the holes 32, the center of the spring 62 is drawn against the projection 3 and the clamp I8 is drawn toward the head Iii, clamping the manifold 16 in the seat 39. In practice the spring 32 will be relatively stiff and will be drawn down until it is deflected to approximately a straight position as shown in Figure 1. Attention is called to the fact that heat from the head M can be transmitted to the spring only through bolts 20 and heat from the manifold It can be transmitted to the spring only through the projection 40 on the clamp, which has a very small area of contact with the spring. The spring 42 is therefore relatively unaffected by the heat of the engines and is, in addition, spaced from the clamp [8 so that air may circulate freely around the spring to cool it. It will be further noted that the spring strip 42 lies along a line transverse to the normal flow of air past the engine l0 illustrated in Figure 1.

By mounting the spring 42 between the bolts 20 and the clamp I8 a certain amount of resiliency is provided between the tubular exhaust manifold 16 and the head [4. Any unequal expansion which may occur during operation of the engine due to the fact that the manifold is steel and the head is usually of cast iron will be compensated for by slight movement of the clamp l8 and the deflections of the spring 42. The bolts 20 may be drawn down tightly when the manifold is cold without fear of crushing the manifold or shearing the bolts from the head when the manifold expands upon being heated.

Thus the manifold I6 is tightly pressed against the seat 30 at all times whether the motor is hot or cold.

While I have described my invention in some detail, I intend this description to be an example only and not as a limitation of my invention, to which I make the following claims:

1. In an internal combustion engine having an exhaust passage extending therefrom, a concave seat formed around said exhaust passage, a tubular exhaust manifold positioned in said seat, a clamp positioned against said manifold opposite said seat, bolts extending through said clamp and spaced therefrom, a strip of spring material positioned between said clamp and the heads of said bolts, and means formed on the center of said clamp for spacing the center of said spring strip from the rest of said clamp.

2. In an internal combustion motor having an exhaust port therein, a concave seat formed on said motor around said port, a tubular exhaust manifold positioned in said seat and having a passage communicating with said exhaust port, clamping means comprising rigid members attached to said motor, and resilient members extending between said rigid members and arranged to hold said manifold against said motor, the greater portion of said resilient members being out of contact with said rigid members and said manifold and spaced therefrom to allow air circulation thereabout.

3. In an internal combustion engine having an exhaust passage extending therefrom, a concave seat formed on said engine about the outer end of said passage, a tubular manifold positioned in said seat and having its external surface mating with the surface of said seat, a port in said manifold registering with said passage, a clamp having curved portions engaging said manifold, a strip of spring steel upon the side of said clamp remote from said manifold, said clamp having a protuberance for point contact with the central portion of said strip, and means guiding said clamp and engaging the ends of said strip for applying clamping pressure through said strip and clamp to hold said manifold against said seat.

4. In an internal combustion engine having an exhaust passage extending therefrom, a concave seat formed on said engine about the outer end of said passage, a tubular manifold complementally engaging said seat and having a port communicating with said passage, a clamp having a curved portion fitting the contour of said manifold and positioned thereagainst, rigid means supported from said engine, and spring means engaging said clamp and pressurably supported from said rigid means and tensioned therebetween for exerting clamping pressure through said clamp upon said manifold to hold the same against said seat.

5. In an internal combustion engine having an exhaust passage extending therefrom, a concave seat formed on said engine about the outer end of said passage, a tubular, thin-walled manifold complementally engaging said seat and having a port communicating with said passage, said manifold being subject to expansion and contraction at a greater rate than said engine, clamp means engaging said manifold, and spring means engaging said clamp for urging said clamp against said manifold to permit expansion and contraction of said manifold, said spring means being in non-contacting relationship with said manifold to prevent transmission of heat thereto from said manifold.

6. In an internal combustion engine having an exhaust passage extending therefrom, a concave seat formed on said engine about the outer end of said passage, a tubular steel manifold complementally engaging said seat and having a port communicating with said passage, a clamp having a pair of apertures therethrough and a curved portion fitting the contour of said manifold and positioned thereagainst, a strip of spring steel on the side of said clamp remote from said manifold, said clamp including means engaging and spacing the center of said strip from the body of said clamp, and bolts loosely fitted through opposite end parts of said strip, extending through said openings out of contact with said clamp, and attached to said engine on opposite sides of said manifold for applying clamping pressure to said manifold to hold it against said seat, said strip of spring steel being normally bowed toward said engine and being drawn into an aproximately straight line by said bolts when clamping said manifold.

ROBERT STORTZ. 

